Semi-stepless car.



.I. S IVICWHIRTEH.

SEMI-STEPLESS CAR- APPLICATION FILED 1AN.19, 1914.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. S. MCWHIRTER.

'SEMl-STEPLESS CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1914.

Patented Apr. 18, M16.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mm H QM:

' R coLuinmA VLAIflDGRAPH 00., WASHINGTON. n. c.

JOHN S. MOWHIRTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

sEivrI-sTErLnss can.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed January 19, 1914. Serial No. 812,935.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. MGWHIRTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invent1on in Semi-Stepless Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street cars, and particularly to street cars of the type wherein the passenger landing space or platform of the car is a single step distance from the ground.

The object of the invention is to provide a car of the type referred to which is simple in construction, and efficient in operation and into which ordinary cars of the usual type may be readily, easily and inexpensively converted or remodeled.

A further object of the invention is to- 0 provide means which are simple and efiicient for supporting or carrying the passenger landing or platform within a single step distance from the ground, in a street car of the type referred to.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the'construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be 0 more fully hereinafter set forth as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aview in side elevation of a portion of a car of the type wherein the landing space or platform is at the end of the car, and showing such 7 landing supported at height of a single step distance from the ground in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2

is a view in horizontal section, parts broken out, showing a floor plan of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2,

looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig.

5 4 is a detail view in vertical transverse section showing the means for supporting the landing floor, Fig. 5 is a broken detail view, in side elevation, parts broken out, showing the floor'structure 0f the landing.

0 The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

In the drawing 6, designates the body of a street car and 7, the landing space or 5 platform therefor. The car body may be of any desired or suitable type, whether single or double truck, prepayment or otherwise, and the landing or platform 7 may be located at any suitable point in the length of the car. While, therefore, I have 1 shown my invention as applied to a car where the landing platform is located at the end of the car, it is to be understood that in its broadest scope, as defined in the claims, I am not to be limited or restricted in this respect.

The truck indicated generally by reference numeral 8, may be of any suitable type or standard design, and requires no special description, except that the driving wheels 9, thereof, are of reduced diameter as compared with the usual wheels employed in trucks of standard type. Thus, where the truck driving wheels are ordinarily thirty inches in diameter, I propose to employ Wheels of twenty-four inches diameter. The pony wheels 10 of the truck may be of the usual or ordinary size. By employing truck driving wheels of reduced diameter I am enabled to correspondingly reduce the height of the floor level of the car. I have indicated the floor level of the car by dotted lines at 11, in Fig. 1, and for a portion of the length thereof I prefer to slightly incline or ramp the same, as indicated, so as to bring the edge or end 12 thereof, next adjacent the landing platform 7, within an easy single step height above the floor level of the landing.

I will now describe the construction for supporting the landing at a single step height above the ground.

The longitudinal side beams 13 of the under framing of the car body, have attached thereto the angle beams 14, to which are bolted, the inner ends of platform supporting knees. These knees each comprise angle-bars 15, 16, with a beam 17, clamped therebetween, the angle portions of said bars being presented away from each other, as clearly shown. I will designate these knee beams generally byreference numeral 18, and, in practice, I propose to employ two of such knees to support the landing platform, where the latter is located at the end of the car body, one at each side of the car body. As above stated, these knees 18 are attached to the under-framing side beams 13, of the car body, and preferably at a point over or adjacent the end of the truck, though in this respect my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the particular point shown. From their points of. attach: ment to the side beams of thecar body under-framing beams the knees extend, preferably in lines which converge toward each H other, underneath the floor of the landing.

platform to form supportsfor the latter.

The floor 11 of the car body is supported at the end thereof which terminates at'the landing platform, by a transversely extend: ing beam 20, which is secured at its ends to the frame side beams 13. In order to reduce the floor level of the landing platform to the distance .of a single step height above the street level, the knee beams "18 are suitably bent or inclined, as indicated at 21, so as 'to enable said knees to pass underneath the car floor supporting beam 20, as'most clearly shown in Fig. 1". Thus by ramping the car body, floor, by employing driving truck wheels 9 of reduced diameter, and by carrying. the platform or landing supporting knees beneath the car fioorsupporting end beam 20, I am enabled to secure a'height of the landing floor of only a single easy stepping distance from the ground level,

anda height of the car body floor of onlya' single easy stepping distance from the plat" form or landing floor level, and hence mak ing What I will term a semi-step'less' car. I

The flooring 22, .of the landing may be supported in any suitable n'oanner the knees 18. I have shown a simple construction wherein I attach'angle bars or plates 23, see Fig. 3 to the knees, and upon the flanges of these angle bars'I 's'uppo'rtthe ends of the arched or other suitable type of floor; indicated at 2am such relation that the upper surface of the floor arch portion 24:, lies flush with the upper surfaces ofthe knees,'as clearly shown, and over thi s'flooring and the knees I laythe floor covering or floor proper 22. 'If desired, and in order to aiford additional. support for the floor, an angle beam 25, may be placed underneathtlie center of the landing floor and secured to the car floor supporting beam 20, at one end and to the end'frame -26, of the landing.

If'desired', the landing platform may be provided'with doors 27', which may be con trolledfrom any convenient point, butthis is a detail to which my invention doesn'ot in any manner relate. I I

The landing platform may be inclosed by the usual vestibule framing, indicated at 28. I

Any desired seat arrangement for the car body orfor the platform or landing maybe employed.

Having now set forth the objectsand nature of my invention, and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what 1' claim as new and useful, and of my own invauea aha desire to secure by Letters Patent isz: 1. a 1. A semi-ste'pless car including a car body having a floor, a transverse beam supporting the end of said floor, a landing 'or platform'ffioor and fneans connected to the car body and extending beneathsaid transverse beam for supporting snannding' or platform floor Within singlestep distance fromthe' ground." I

2. Afsem'i-stepless cjar including a car body longitudinally extending underframe side beams therefor,"a transversely. extending floor supporting beam, knees attached to the under-fra1neside beams and extending bene'athl andfbe'yond said transverse floor supporting beams and 'a landing or plat-- form supported bysa'id knees within a single step distancefrom the ground. I I

3. A semi-strapless car including a, car

body, longitudinally extending 'underframe side beams-therefor, knees securedlto' said sidebeams and 'extendmg'therefrom 1n con-- tending side jbeams' for said body, a transversely extending floor supporting beam car- -r1ed by said slde beams, knees connectedto said side beams andh'avingbent portions to p'ermit said knees to extend underneath said transverse floor supporting beam, and a landing or platform fio oncarried bylsaid knees w ithin'a single step distancefrom the ground; II f I 65A semi -steple's's' ,ca'r includingal car' body,' underframe side beams therefor, a gle plates carried by I side beams kneesl connected to said I angle plates and 'extend therefrom, and v a plat-formf or landing floor carrledby said knee beams ln'testi' onywhereof I have set my handf'in the I presence of :the subscribing witnesses, ton. this 12th day of; January,

JOHN'S. MoW-I-IIRTER. Witnesses: i

era; ac-Rita, S. E. 'DA'RB'Y.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, mis in tlififibmihfsitiifoi Patents.

I Washington, 11. c. a 

